Merry Christmas, Roger!
by PinkyKupkake
Summary: Roger is appointed Santa's helper by Jack at Christmastime. One-shot.


**A/N: This idea was given to me by a lovely anonymous Tumblr user, and I wrote it. Enjoy! Merry Christmas! :)**

Christmas wasn't really quite Christmas this year. There were no sparkling lights hanging from roofs, no magnificent trees to decorate, no perfectly wrapped gift boxes with ribbons sitting on top. All they had was their little island, and it wasn't the same. They missed the cozy sweaters, hot cocoa, and family gatherings by the fireplace. Yes, the holiday season was difficult for the boys, but it was especially rough for the littluns. They wanted their parents. They wanted the nice toys they were used to being showered with this time of year. But most of all, they wanted Santa Claus. They ruthlessly bothered the older boys about it, mostly questioning how they would be able to write their letter or how Santa would find them.

"But Jack!" Henry complained, rushing after the older boy as he made desperate attempts to get away. "How will the reindeer know where we are?"

"They're reindeer! They're magic. They'll know where you are," Jack told him.

"And how will Santa get our letters? We can't even write any letters here!"

"Well, he probably just knows what he want because he can read your mind."

Henry looked horrified. "He- he can read my mind?"

"Sure."

The little boy burst into tears. "But I don't WANT Santa to know what I'm thinking about all the time!"

"Oh, for God's sake," Jack rolled his eyes. He continued walking, with Henry trailing behind, until he reached the camp, where Ralph, Roger, and Simon sat. He found Ralph and Roger roasting pig meat and Simon trying to comfort a sniffling Percival.

"I just don't understand how Santa knows we're here," Percival was trying to explain.

Simon put his arm around the small boy. "He knows. He'll see the fire, won't he?"

"But-" Percival was interrupted by another littlun, Johnny, suddenly throwing his hands down on the ground.

"Wait!" the boy said. "If Santa is coming, can't he rescue us?"

The older boys all froze. Ralph choked on a piece of meat he had just shoved into his mouth.

"Okay, this has gone on long enough," Jack. said. "Guess what? Roger is Santa's assistant. We weren't going to tell you, but I guess we just will. You just tell him what you want, and he'll make sure Santa gets it to you. And if Santa doesn't come, it'll be all Roger's fault."

The littluns all turned and looked at Roger with stars in their eyes. They all spoke at once.

"You're Santa's assistant?"

"Really?"

"Why didn't you just TELL us that?"

"I want a pony!"

Roger's eyes were wide and his mouth was open. "I'm- I'm what?"

"You're Santa's assistant, right, Rog?" Jack grinned. Ralph snickered and Simon rolled his eyes.

"No. No, I'm most definitely NOT," Roger protested.

Jack glared down at the boy. "Yes. You are."

Roger sighed. "Yeah. I am."

-

"So, I want a toy car, okay? But it has to be yellow. And shiny, okay?" Henry tugged at Roger's sleeve.

"Okay," Roger sighed, helpless.

"And I also want-"

"Hey now, one gift per person."

"At home I always got three gifts."

"Yeah, well, you're not at home."

Henry looked heartbroken for a moment, but quickly brightened up. "Okay, fine. But just a yellow car, okay?"

"Alright. Now please leave me alone. Or else I'll tell Santa not to bring you anything at all."

Henry's eyes widened and he backed away quickly. Roger sighed. These requests just kept coming, and the littluns were going to be terribly disappointed when they woke up on Christmas morning and there was nothing. But Roger's hands were tied. There was nothing he could do about it.

Johnny carefully approached Roger and grabbed his hand.

"Off," Roger growled, looking down at the boy.

"Sorry," Johnny frowned.

"What do you want?"

"I just- you remember what I want for Christmas, right?"

"Yes, I do, Johnny. You've told me 13 times. You want a puppy, and I told you that Santa doesn't bring live animals. Either pick something else, or you won't get anything at all."

"But I really want a puppy."

"But you can't have one."

"But I want one."

Roger groaned. "Okay, whatever."

-

Christmas continued to creep closer, and before they knew it, it was Christmas Eve. The boys sat around a fire, telling stories about what their Christmases were like back home. Strangely enough, it was comforting, and it took the homesickness away, at least for the time being.

Ralph stood up. "Alright, littluns. Bedtime," he coughed. "Has everyone told Roger what they want for Christmas?"

Jack snickered, and Simon elbowed him. The little boys all nodded and happily buzzed off to bed, chattering excitedly about what they would have waiting for them in the morning. Percival lingered behind, kicking at the ground.

"What's wrong, Percival?" Ralph asked.

"I didn't tell Roger what I wanted yet," the small boy explained.

"Well, tell him now," Ralph gestured toward Roger.

Percival approached the older boy shyly. He pulled him down to his level and lowered his voice. "I- I really just want to go home, okay?" he asked.

Roger bit his lip. "I- I'm not sure about that-"

Percival simply smiled up at him. "Just tell Santa, okay?" With that, he ran off to catch up with the other littluns.

Roger glanced at the other remaining boys, tossing his stick down on the ground and walking away.

-

That night, the older boys all lay sleeping in their shelters. Roger, the only one awake (or so he thought), tossed and turned. He couldn't get comfortable, and he couldn't get his thoughts to stop haunting him. Something wasn't right. He knew it wasn't okay, and he battled with his conscience over it for hours before he finally rolled out of the shelter and pushed himself up. A smaller shadow soon followed after him in the dark.

-

The older boys were awakened that morning by gleeful shouts, which was the last thing most of them expected. They stumbled out of the shelter, and stood with open mouths. It was the sight they never thought they would see, little boys running around on the beach, each with their own special, perhaps pitifully designed, handmade toy.

Johnny happily played with what was probably supposed to be a puppy made out of woven leaves. Henry rolled around a rock that was smeared with yellow flower pollen. Even the older boys had been remembered, a freshly sharpened spear sat waiting for Jack, and a shiny new conch shell for Ralph.

Roger simply looked around, smiling. Jack came up next to him and nudged him in the side. "I'm impressed, Roger. You came through."

Roger cleared his throat and stopped smiling. "It wasn't me, idiot. It was Santa," his eyes brightened and he looked up for a moment. "Besides, even Santa has helpers," he winked at Simon, who smiled back.

-

Percival, being the only boy who hadn't asked for something from Ralph, sat alone on the beach, drawing pictures in the sand with his finger. Roger approached the boy from behind and sat down next to him.

"Hi," Percival said, smiling sadly.

"Hi," Roger smiled back.

"Santa couldn't take me home, could he?"

"No, he couldn't. But he left something with me to give to you."

Percival brightened. "Really?"

"Really. He told me to give it to you personally, because the other boys might get jealous."

Roger handed the boy half a coconut shell with an awkward smiley face carved into it that barely even looked like a face.

"What- what is it?" Percival asked.

"It's a friend for you. Santa said he couldn't get you home right now, because this is your home for a little while. And he couldn't bring you to your family, because we're your family for now. But this is your new little coconut friend to keep you company until you can go home."

Percival traced the crooked mouth with his finger. "Roger?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"This is a terrible present."

Roger sighed. "I know. Just work with me here, please? I've been up all night."

Percival grinned and giggled. He threw his arms around Roger and hugged him. "Thanks, Roger," he smiled.

"You're welcome," Roger said. He sighed and smiled. Christmas wasn't really quite so bad, after all.


End file.
